Chapter 126: Returning Home

Standing outside, Changkang felt a surge of warmth in his heart. The young mistress and the young master had not forgotten him. Perhaps among the four of them, he was the least capable—lacking Changxing’s talent, Changsheng’s quick wit, and Changan’s steadiness—yet he, too, yearned to serve them well, to earn their affirmation, and to be remembered whenever there was a task at hand.

Clenching his fists in secret, he vowed that he would surely prove himself.

It was early May, and summer had just arrived. The sun was not yet scorching, but it still left the leaves along the roadside looking listless. It was just past noon, and the official road was nearly deserted, save for a few birds flying lazily overhead. Suddenly, the sound of hooves echoed from the end of the road, and before long, a horse-drawn carriage trundled into view.

The carriage appeared unremarkable, covered in gray canvas without any ornaments, but upon closer inspection, one could see the carriage body was crafted from fine, solid fir wood. The horse pulling it snorted and shook its head impatiently, seemingly displeased with traveling in the heat of midday. The driver, sitting on the front bench, had his hat pulled low, looking for all the world as if he were napping against the carriage wall.

This road, stretching from south to north, was quite wide and lined with large trees, so even if the driver were asleep, the carriage would not veer off course; the horse would continue to plod along the main path. Without anyone to urge it on, the horse had grown lazy, slowing its pace with every step.

"Second Brother, why is this horse just as sluggish as you?"

The person inside the carriage was no longer patient. Eager to return home, how could he endure such a crawl?

The driver on the bench pushed his hat up, let out a yawn, and replied languidly, "Fourth, if you aren't satisfied, why don't you come up front? I wouldn't mind going inside for a nap myself."

"Forget it, you stay there, Second Brother. But tell me, at this speed, when will we ever get home?"

At the mention of "home," the man outside suddenly perked up. He cracked his whip in the air with a sharp snap. As the sound died away, the horse let out a sharp whinny. With all four hooves hitting the ground, the horse shook off its drowsiness and bolted forward.

"Hey!" "Oh, my head!" "You and your tricks, Changsheng!..."

Cries from within the carriage echoed, blending with the driver’s hearty laughter as they vanished at the other end of the road.

Three days later, Changsheng and his companions finally reached Luo County. After resting for a night, they spent the next morning escorting the Jiang couple back to Wang Village in Huaiyang Town. It took half the day, and by the time they returned to Yuquan Village, it was nearly dusk.

The dirt road leading into the village was barely passable for the carriage, and they moved at a crawl. Two miles from the village, Changkang could no longer stand it. He pulled Changan with him, jumped off the carriage, and continued on foot.

Wildflowers and weeds grew lush along the path. There was a type of foxtail grass that village children loved to pick for mischief; tied into a bundle, it was perfect for tickling people. The fuzz on the grass could cause red welts on bare skin, making it unbearably itchy and numb. It would fade by the next morning, but the skin would likely be scratched raw by then.

Changkang held such a bundle in his hand now. He kept trying to tickle Changan’s face, but Changan dodged him with agility. The two began to spar along the road, using the techniques taught to them by Master Mu.

Changsheng drove the carriage at a steady pace, occasionally offering a word of instruction. A farmer returning from the fields with a hoe stood by the side of the road, watching the two boys sparring with curiosity. After a moment, he asked tentatively, "Wait, aren't these Xiao Liu and Xiao Shun?"

"Uncle Feng!"

Uncle Feng was an elder in their village. Changan and Changkang quickly dropped the grass and stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Oh, it really is you! And is this Erdan? It’s been over two years—I never expected you all to have grown so tall!"

Uncle Feng was overjoyed. He walked alongside them, rambling about village affairs. "If the sisters-in-law knew you were back, they’d be so happy. Last New Year, they kept running to the village entrance, always hoping for some good news. Sigh, life in the village hasn't improved. If we’d gritted our teeth back then, we might have made it through—we shouldn't have had to let you youngsters go off to suffer."

"Uncle Feng, we haven't suffered. Our masters are very kind to us."

Hearing Changkang’s rebuttal, the other two nodded vigorously. Uncle Feng, however, remained unconvinced and shook his head with a sigh. In his mind, there was no such thing as a kind master; if they were truly kind, why hadn't they let the children visit home for years?

When they reached the village entrance, groups of old folk and children were gathered under the large poplar tree in the center. Women were peering out from their doorways, and men in the distant fields looked up from their work.

"Sister-in-law Zhang, Sister-in-law Liu, Sister-in-law Chen, look who’s back!"

Uncle Feng’s booming voice carried far, drawing everyone's attention. When the children saw the rare sight of a carriage, their eyes lit up and they rushed over with cheers. Mrs. Liu and Mrs. Chen stood at their doors, squinting hard. After a moment, they let out a cry and ran forward with the children, tears streaming down their faces.

Changan and Changkang also sprinted forward. When they met face-to-face, they were so choked with emotion that their lips trembled, and they could not speak a word.

Changsheng parked the carriage and hurried into his courtyard. In the kitchen, he found his mother, her hair now flecked with gray. Unable to hold back any longer, his legs gave way, and he knelt down. "Mother."

That night, Yuquan Village was as lively as a festival. Men and women moved in groups with their children, visiting Changsheng’s house, then Changan’s, then Changkang’s.

The three youths had grown significantly, and their features had matured. Having practiced martial arts for nearly a year and having seen much of the world alongside their young mistress, they stood tall and carried themselves with a refined air that set them apart from the other villagers. Their silk garments were so fine that they could easily rival the sons of wealthy families in town.

The women clucked their tongues in admiration, reaching out to touch the fabric with a hint of envy. Several childhood friends, who looked much rougher and more weathered than the trio, stood by nervously, rubbing their hands and not daring to strike up a conversation. The changes in Changsheng and the others were simply too great. Even their own younger siblings were hesitant to approach them freely.

The three of them, however, didn't mind. They clapped their friends on the shoulders with their old familiarity and brought out the fruits and pastries they had brought back to treat the visitors.

As they snacked on melon seeds, a gossiping woman brought up the subject of marriage. "Oh, Sister-in-law Zhang, your hard days are finally over! With Erdan doing so well, we’re all basking in your good fortune. When I visited my maiden home recently, my aunt mentioned that she wanted to bring her niece over for a visit—I'll bring her for you to see, Sister-in-law Zhang."

Anyone with eyes knew she was playing matchmaker for her niece. Erdan was no longer the boy he once was, and others who were unwilling to let this opportunity pass began to boast of the daughters of their own extended families.

The chatter caused Changsheng to blush deep red. Finding an excuse, he stood up and said he needed to visit his Third Great-Uncle, fleeing the scene. He grabbed the gifts he had brought and headed out, intending to call for Changan and Changkang, only to find them both scrambling out of the house in a similar state of distress.

The three exchanged looks, understanding each other without a word, and shared a bitter smile.

The Third Great-Uncle was the patriarch of the Liang clan. His son, the fifth in the family, was the village head. Yuquan Village had once been a remote mountain valley, uninhabited for miles. Later, a family named Liang took refuge there and multiplied, eventually forming the settlement of dozens of households that stood today. Therefore, the village was not originally called Yuquan Village, but Liang Village; as for when the name was changed, there was no way to verify it.